U.S. military, Okinawa hold 1st safety forum after sex assault cases
Representatives of U.S. forces in Japan and Okinawa authorities held their first meeting Friday under a new forum to discuss joint safety measures, following alleged sexual assault cases involving American service members in the southern island prefecture.
In closed-door talks at the U.S. Marine Corps' Camp Foster, the U.S. military outlined its existing preventive measures, while both sides agreed to work toward holding a regular joint community patrol, like the one conducted in April in the city of Okinawa, and expanding it to other parts of the prefecture, according to a local government official.
The launch of the new dialogue venue, named "Okinawa Community Partnership Forum," was announced in July last year by U.S. Forces Japan, after revelations of alleged sexual assault cases in June sparked renewed safety concerns among locals.
Okinawa Prefecture hosts the bulk of U.S. military installations in Japan, and anti-base sentiment runs deep due to aircraft noise, pollution and crimes committed by American service members.
The participants of the first meeting of the new forum included representatives from the Okinawa prefectural government, the city of Okinawa, local police, the U.S. forces on Okinawa and the U.S. Consulate General Naha. Officials from Japan's foreign and defense ministries also took part.
The meeting is expected to be held about once a year going forward.
Specific assault cases were not discussed in the meeting, according to the local government official.
"Establishing an avenue for each organization to propose measures to prevent incidents involving U.S. military is of great significance," Masahito Tamari, director general of the Okinawa governor's office, told reporters after the meeting.
The U.S. military said in its statement that the talks "highlighted the importance of ongoing communication and collaboration between USFJ and the Okinawa community."
"Both sides reaffirmed their dedication to fostering a positive and mutually beneficial relationship based on trust and respect," it added.
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Yomiuri Shimbun
8 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
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Yomiuri Shimbun
9 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
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Japan Today
14 hours ago
- Japan Today
Israeli airstrikes kill 55; body of Thai hostage retrieved from Gaza
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On Wednesday, the GHF suspended operations and asked the Israeli military to review security protocols after Palestinian hospital officials said more than 80 people had been shot dead and hundreds wounded near distribution points between June 1-3. Eyewitnesses blamed Israeli soldiers for the killings. The Israeli military said it fired warning shots on two days, while on Tuesday it said soldiers had fired at Palestinian "suspects" who were advancing towards their positions. The Israeli military said on Saturday that 350 trucks of humanitarian aid belonging to the U.N. and other international relief groups were transferred this week via the Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza. The war erupted after Hamas-led militants took 251 hostages and killed 1,200 people, most of them civilians, in the October 7, 2023 attack, Israel's single deadliest day. Israel's military campaign has since killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, according to health authorities in Gaza, and flattened much of the coastal enclave. © Thomson Reuters 2025.
